The Neverending Story part 4
by Beth Siren
Summary: This is how I imagine "The Never-ending Story" continuing when Bastian is 18


Disclaimer: I don't own "The Never-ending Story". If I did this would be a movie and I would be rich. Second Disclaimer: I don't even own that disclaimer, but I have my friend's permission to use it.  
  
This is what I wanted the next "Never-ending Story" to be like, but the movies stopped.  
  
Chapter 1  
Now Bastian Balthazar Bucks is in college and has since put Fantasia  
out his mind. Almost. Despite his constantly saying he's too old to  
believe in fairy-tales, he can't forget Fantasia. Atreyu, his warrior  
best friend, the child-like empress, Falkor, the good luck dragon, and  
the Rock Biters were just some of the interesting and unbelievable  
characters Bastian had met in Fantasia. Fantasia is the dreamlike and  
magic land where all these creatures and more lived. It was made by  
children's imaginations, but things have made children stop believing  
in fantasy. That's why he was chosen. He still had faith. He had first  
found the book when he was 10. He quickly learned that writes itself  
according to how the reader imagines it. He found it again when he was  
13 and had saved Fantasia from the lady of the castle shaped like a  
hand. But it was when he was 15 that he stopped going to Fantasia. He  
had used to book to escape the Nasties, a gang of vicious seniors,  
when they found it and used Orin, a double snake necklace that grants  
the wishes of the wearer, to cause havoc. It brought Junior Rock  
Biter, Falkor, and a few other creatures to the real world. The  
Nasties had almost destroyed Fantasia and after it was all over  
Bastian vowed he'd never open Fantasia again. There were too many  
consequences.  
So now here he was, 18 and majoring in Creative Writing. He always  
knew he'd be a writer. That way the shyness that had plagued him since  
he could remember would be appeased. He only had one real friend in  
the real world, his girlfriend Beth. She was tall and long brown  
tresses with natural blond highlights, hazel eyes, and was the perfect  
size, not a rail or a whale. She was the only person who ever believed  
in Fantasia aside from his step-sister, who shared his adventure with  
the Nasties. She never said why she understood all about Fantasia, but  
Bastian assumed she was just disconnected with reality. She reminded  
Bastian of the child-like empress, what little he ever saw of her  
Highness, ruler of all Fantaisa.  
Sometimes Bastian had temporary moments of insanity when he thought of  
going to his old high-school to find Mr. Corriander, the mysterious  
old man who was the only person with "The Never-Ending Story" on his  
shelves. Bastian was sure he knew of the book's magic for he always  
seemed to where Bastian could find him when Fantasia was in danger.  
But Bastian had gone back once only to be told Mr. Corriander was gone  
and took "The Never-Ending Story" with him. No one knew where he was.  
Beth and Bastian had tried to find the book, but no luck. Bastian was  
going to introduce Beth to Atreyu, Falkor, the Rock Biters, and of  
course the child-like empress.  
One day, Beth knocked on Bastian's door at 3:38 a.m. Usually when this  
happened, she wanted to hear about Fantasia again. He'd make her tea  
and she would fall asleep in his arms. But this night, something was  
wrong. He opened his door to Beth, but she was scared and had an  
urgent look in her eyes. She had been crying and her hair was all  
mussed-up. Beth ran straight into his arms.  
"Fansia" she said her voice muffled by his shirt.  
"What?" Bastian asked.  
"Fantasia is in danger." Beth repeated between sobs.  
"But I told you, it's not real. Just a make believe world." Bastian  
said, thoroughly confused.  
"Of course it's real. I'm the empress."  
"WHAT?"  
"I'm the child-like empress. I've pleaded to come to the real world since I first called upon you. After the Nasties were dealt with, and we had a few years of peace, I was allowed to come, but only for one year and I had to stay near you all the time. So I came and found you here. Now I am needed in Fantasia and cannot find Orin to wish myself back there. Whatever shall I do?"  
Bastian was mystified, but understood the fraility of a place like Fantasia. "What's wrong in Fantasia?"  
  
Please review and tell me if I should go on to Chapter 2. 


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